Crave. Melissa Darnell

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СКАЧАТЬ girls made a quick escape into the building, Anne playing bodyguard at Savannah’s board-stiff back. Huh. So it was okay for Anne to come to the rescue but not me. Not a surprise, but that actually kinda stung.

      I stared at the three guys. They didn’t notice me, their eyes blazing now as, like magnets, they shambled after the girls into the building. Whoa, now that was extra creepy. They looked like a bunch of possessed zombies.

      What would these guys do if they caught Savannah somewhere more private on campus, like in the girls’ rest-rooms or a locker room or something?

      I slammed the building door open, wincing as the metal handle hit the brick exterior. Gotta get it under control, Coleman.

      I took a deep breath as I entered the classroom. Mr. Chandler had just started class. Great. I’d have some time to think up a solution and make sure those guys left Savannah alone for good. Or maybe my sister would have some ideas. She was excellent at getting rid of creeps without their ever knowing it. It was one of the first things our dad had taught her once she’d started magic training.

      I spent the lecture staring at the shaking strands of Savannah’s ponytail and thinking about how best to convince Emily to break the rules and teach me herself. I was so busy planning that it took twenty minutes to notice the difference.

      Savannah had done something to her hair.

      I’d thought it was just the lighting in the cafeteria earlier. But her hair was definitely different. It used to be more of a fiery orangish-red. Now it was darker, with strands of deep red and brown running through it. And it was shinier, too.

      And oh, man, did she smell good.

      She still smelled like lavender. But the scent was stronger, warmer. More mysterious. And her skin looked extra good today. Especially right above the collar of her sweater …

      I gulped and leaned back in my chair again as I tried to think straight. To remember all the reasons why kissing that curve where her neck and shoulder met would be a bad idea.

      I had to pity the three creeps then. There was something about Savannah that went way beyond the normal attraction. I was only surprised that every male in the school hadn’t gathered around her outside the building today.

      A foot kicked my left leg.

      My head shot up and I looked around. The lecture had ended, everyone was working on the assignment … and Anne seemed ready to punch me. What now?

      She wrote in big letters across her paper, Quit staring!

      I wasn’t, I wrote on my own paper big enough so she could read it.

      Yes, you are. All you guys are such creeps, she added on her paper.

      Confused, I looked at her and mouthed the words all you guys, raising my eyebrows. What was she talking about?

      Her head jerked to the right and back before she pretended to return to her work. But I could see she was just doodling on her paper.

      I waited a minute then faked a silent yawn and stretch so I could glance behind us at the rest of the class. Sure enough, three pairs of male eyes were all locked in Savannah’s direction. Their dark expressions said their thoughts were anything but nice.

      The guys had gone well beyond stalker level straight to “lock me up, I’m a serial killer” in just two hours.

      Oh, yeah, I was definitely going to have to do something about this. The question was … what? And how much time did I have to work with?

      I wrote, I am NOT like them. But don’t worry about those creeps. I’ll take care of it.

      Anne’s eyebrows shot up, but she didn’t write anything else on her paper.

      When the bell rang, I took my time gathering up my books. Then I sensed somebody coming toward our group of desks. A quick glance behind me showed it was the Creepy Three. I spun out and around my desk, positioning myself between Savannah and them.

      “Hey, Ron, think we’ve got a shot of making the varsity team next year?” I said to the guy seated in front of Anne at Savannah’s left. I wasn’t surprised by Abernathy’s confused expression as he looked around at me. Though we’d both played offensive JV football this year, Ron’s family had just moved to Jacksonville last year, and he hadn’t made many friends yet. He seemed like the quiet type, and until today we’d never spoken to each other outside of team time.

      Ron must have been raised by parents who believed in being polite, though, because he didn’t blow me off. “Maybe. I heard Coach Parker’s getting desperate for some solid second-string players on varsity.”

      I could feel three people hovering at my back, no doubt wishing I would move. Smothering a nasty grin, I spread my feet, crossed my arms over my chest and settled in. “That’d be sweet if we got moved up. Think we’d get any actual field time then?”

      Ron shrugged. “Probably. You know how it is. Between grades and injuries, we might stand a good shot.”

      Someone had the guts to tap my shoulder. I ought to break off those fingers. Instead, I ignored them and kept talking with Ron, discussing who might be most likely to get benched next fall for injuries or failing grades.

      Unfortunately, Savannah and Anne appeared to be too deep in their own whispered conversation to notice the prime opportunity I’d given them to escape. Girls. They picked the worst times to turn chatty.

      When Ron leaned away to grab his books, I cleared my throat. Anne looked up. I shot her a look that hopefully told her to get her skinny rear in gear. She got the hint, grabbed Savannah, and within half a minute the girls were leaving.

      Just as I started to relax, I sensed the Creepy Three shifting as if to follow the girls.

      “See you at practice,” I said to Ron then headed for the door, lengthening my stride so I would reach it before the creeps. At the doorway, I turned and gave them my ugliest look.

      They had the nerve to glare back at me, even though all three of them were a good half a foot shorter than me. Not to mention they couldn’t have weighed more than a hundred pounds combined.

      “I know you’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking,” I growled. Behind me, the math-building exit door banged shut.

      They stared up at me. Man, they just had no clue what kind of danger they were in. I could beat all three of them into pulp in ten seconds flat and not even work up a sweat.

      “Is there a problem, boys?” Mr. Chandler said from his desk.

      “Yes, sir,” I said, working not to smile. “I could’ve sworn I just heard these three call you a fat, bald-headed little pig.”

      Mr. Chandler stood up. “Well. Sounds like maybe you three should stay for a little chat with me.”

      Confused, they turned to the teacher and started stammering. That ought to hold them for a while, at least long enough for the girls to reach the parking lot and their rides. Satisfied, I headed outside in time to see Savannah get into her grandma’s car.

      What I wasn’t expecting was to see Anne stalking СКАЧАТЬ